1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and system for the distribution of products via a transmission network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such methods and the systems required for the implementation thereof are generally known, in particular in the field of the Internet. Products are here and in the rest of this text understood to mean information, multimedia objects with, for example pictures and/or music, shareware and freeware programs, etc. All such products can be sent by a product provider to a customer via the transmission network. If such products are not free of charge, their delivery to the customer must be billed. To this end, a connection to a (banking) collection processor (or collection server) is generally made via the transmission network, and billing data relating to the product and the customer are exchanged via a secure connection. If the customer has an account with the collection processor, the billed amount can be debited directly. In other cases, the collection processor can, for example, send a bill by post to the customer, which must subsequently be paid by the customer.
It is clear that it is up to each product provider to find a solution for both the actual delivery of the products and for the billing and collection for delivered products. Moreover, customers also have to deal with different providers for the different products involving different procedures for financial settlement. This can all be a time-consuming business, particularly for international transactions.